The present invention relates to hand-held computing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to user interface and other software features for facilitating the viewing and management of informational content using a touch-sensitive display.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/034,720, filed Mar. 4, 1998, discloses a secure content distribution system which enables users to securely download literary titles and other types of content to a hand-held reader device. Using the reader device""s control buttons and touch-sensitive display, users can perform such tasks as selecting, viewing and deleting titles, adjusting the font size and orientation of displayed text, and adding notes to selected passages. Because the titles are disseminated and stored in digital form, many of the costs associated with the sale and distribution of books and other types of printed publications are eliminated, including the costs associated with printing, storing and shipping of such publications.
In order for such a system to appeal to the mass public, it is important that the reader device have a user interface which is simple and intuitive to use. In addition, the device should provide functions which take advantage of the content""s digital form, so that users have the incentive to use the system in place of printed publications. Further, the device should be comfortable to hold during prolonged viewing session.
The present invention addresses these and other problems.
The present invention comprises a hand-held computing device that is adapted to be used as a reading device for the reading of literary titles and other types of content. The device includes a touch-sensitive display and a graphical user interface that provide various functions associated with the viewing of titles stored in the device""s memory. In a preferred embodiment, the device is adapted to communicate with a PC or other general purpose computer via a cradle.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the device implements an automatic look-up feature which can be invoked by the user to look up a word of a displayed title. Using this feature, the user can, for example, bring up a definition, language-to-language translation, audible pronunciation, encyclopedia listing, picture, or other type reference listing associated with the displayed term. In one embodiment, the user looks up the word by tapping the word twicexe2x80x94once to select the word and a second time to initiate the look-up process. The device responds by searching for the word in a pre-specified or default reference title (dictionary, encyclopedia, etc.) and displaying the results on the display. The reference titles can be downloaded to the device by the user, and can be designated for use with specific literary titles using the device""s user interface.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the touch-sensitive display has a fixed icon displayed thereon which represents a user-definable function key or xe2x80x9chotkey.xe2x80x9d Using the hotkey, the user can execute a commonly-used menu or sub-menu item (function), such as a xe2x80x9cSet Bookmark Herexe2x80x9d function, with a single touch of the display. To assign a function to the hotkey, the user initially brings up one of the device""s menus on the display, such as by touching a xe2x80x9cbook menuxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clibrary menuxe2x80x9d key. The user then performs an intuitive drag-and-release operation from the hotkey to the target menu item, or vice versa. Thereafter (until a subsequent reassignment), the target menu item is executed immediately whenever the user touches and releases the hotkey with no menu displayed on the screen.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the device supports a citation routing feature which allows a user to select a passage on the touch-sensitive display and then designate a destination for the subsequent routing of the passage by the general purpose computer. In a preferred embodiment, the user initially highlights the passage on the display and then taps once on the passage to bring up a menu of routing options. From this menu, the user can select one or more routing addresses, including email addresses, fax numbers, file folders and printers. In addition, the user can type-in an optional annotation using a pop-up keyboard.
Once this process is complete, the device preferably creates a citation file which indicates the passage and destination(s) selected by the user. When a communications link is subsequently established between the device and the general purpose computer (such as by placing the device in the cradle), the citation file is automatically transferred to the computer (together with any other citation files that have been created but not yet transferred). A software application running on the general purpose computer in-turn routes the passage and optional annotation to the user-specified destination(s).
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the device includes an orientation key which can be touched by the user to bring up four orientation markers on the screen, each of which corresponds respectively to one of the four possible display orientation settings (0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees relative to a base or gripping portion of the device). Each of the markers is preferably in the form of an arrow which points to one of the four edges of the display. To select a display orientation, the user simply touches the arrow that points to the desired top of the display. When the user places the device in the cradle, the device automatically resets the orientation to the base (zero degrees) setting to facilitate the viewing of content while the device is in the cradle.